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San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program INCLUSION OF BENTHIC MONITORING IN THE RMP

San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program INCLUSION OF BENTHIC MONITORING IN THE RMP Purpose Provide data needed for sediment quality assessments of aquatic life in San Francisco Estuary for NPDES, dredging, 303(d), and clean-up evaluations. SEDIMENT QUALITY OBJECTIVES

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San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program INCLUSION OF BENTHIC MONITORING IN THE RMP

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  1. San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program INCLUSION OF BENTHIC MONITORING IN THE RMP Purpose Provide data needed for sediment quality assessments of aquatic life in San Francisco Estuary for NPDES, dredging, 303(d), and clean-up evaluations.

  2. SEDIMENT QUALITY OBJECTIVES • FOR CALIFORNIA BAYS AND ESTUARIES • In development since 2004 • Scheduled implementation in 2007 • Will use a new regulatory approach: • Multiple beneficial use assessments, each with • Multiple lines of evidence (MLOE) • This approach is being used because of problems • associated with using any single line of evidence.

  3. SEDIMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK Addresses 3 “Beneficial Uses” • 1. Aquatic Life Assessment: • - Sediment Chemistry • - Sediment Toxicity • - Benthic macrofauna • 2. Fish and Wildlife Assessment: • - Sediment Chemistry • - Tissue bioaccumulation • - Shellfish exposure assessment • 3. Human Health Assessment: • - Same LOEs as Fish and Wildlife, • thresholds related to Human Health

  4. BENTHIC ASSESSMENT TOOLS ARE READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION • Benthic Pilot Study, 1994-1998 • Assemblage descriptions (RMP Tech. Report, 1999) • Assessment method (IBI; Env. Tox. Chem., 2004) • CisNet (EPA Report, partially supported by RMP) • Comparison of IBI and BRI (SWRCB Report, 2004) • SQO Development (SWRCB, 2004 - 2008) • Large SF Estuary Data Base • Comparisons of 5 benthic assessment methods • Verification using “BPJ Standard” benthic impact gradient

  5. BENTHIC ASSESSMENT METHODS Index of Biotic Integrity Thompson and Lowe, 2004 Ranasinghe, et al. 2004 Benthic Response Index Smith et al. 2000. Ranasinghe et al. 2004 Relative Benthic Index Hunt et al. 2000 (J. Oakden, MLML) RivPacs D. Huff, Oregon DWQ Benthic Quality Index Rosenberg, 2005

  6. IMPLEMENTATION • 1. Planning in 2006 • Establish a benthic work group within EEPS • Include with other agencies conducting benthic • sampling (USGS, DWR, CCSF) • Cost: $10,160, allocated • Implementation in 2007 • RMP could sample 15 samples annually • Augmented by DWR / USGS samples in Suisun and • San Pablo Bays) • Cost Estimate: ~ $60,000 annually • Complementary EEPS Study, 2006-2008 • Validate SQOs • Determine causes of sediment impairment

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